Here’s the thing about Dollar Tree, while everything in the store is truly only $1, not everything in the store is worth $1. Some things are GREAT deals. Some things are cheaply made and/or can be found easily for less than a dollar elsewhere. So when you shop there, remember this: just because it’s a store with great deals, doesn’t mean that everything in the store is a great deal.

For those of you who might not shop at Dollar Tree, I thought it would be fun for me to share some of my favorite things to buy at Dollar Tree.

3. Plastic serving trays and bowls (great for entertaining!)

4. Greeting cards (2 for $1!)

6. Glow Sticks

7. Make-up (I usually only buy only brands I am familiar with, but I’ve had great success with buying lipstick and lipgloss from Dollar Tree.)

8. Pregnancy tests (yes, just $1 for real! And they work!)

9. Photo Frames

10. Beach Toys — great for when you are on vacation and forgot to bring beach toys or don’t want to bring them along with you!

11. Puzzles = super cheap entertainment for kids! And you don’t have to worry if they lose pieces! 😉

12. Party Supplies

13. Cheap Toys — we buy stock up on these for road trips or chore incentives. I will wrap them up and the kids get to open them and they love it! 🙂 {And yes, your kids might not be like mine and they might think that’s weird!}

14. Books — Most of these will be ones I’m not interested in, but you can usually find a few fantastic gems in the middle of all the junky titles! 🙂

15. Socks — They aren’t the highest quality, but they have two-packs for $1 for kids that we’ve purchased and had great experience with.

16. Waste Baskets

17. Flip Flops

18. Organizational Supplies

19. Hair Items

20. Spices & Seasonings

21. Plastic Wrap & Foil

22. Plastic Bags & Freezer Bags

23. Glassware & Mugs

24. Brooms

25. Sunglasses — yes, these are cheap, but they work great in a pinch!

Dollar Tree Shoppers: Do you agree with my list? Anything you would add or take off? I’d love to hear!

I just shopped Dollar Tree this month for the first time in ages. My two older sons both have birthdays in June and I have them a dollar for each year of age ($7 and $9) to shop with. They had a blast! Sure, they bought a lot of junk food (theater candy boxes, etc.), but they had a great time. I did too. I bought magic erasers and all kinds of organizers and cleaning products. We also bought dollar flip flops, sidewalk chalk, and lots of pool toys. I bought sunglasses for my trip to the beach (and lost them in the ocean – no worries for $1). The boys tried to convince me that I should shop there every week. That won’t happen, but I am amazed by just how much stuff I can get for a dollar.

Generic Neosporin and Benadryl, dry beans, tostada shells and store brand magic erasers. (3 for a buck and they clean just as well.) I also like their oxygen cleaner. It may be more economical to buy a huge vat at Costco or Sam’s, but for my small family, smaller containers work fine.

Our meds always expire before we use them all. I started buying them at $ Tree because they are so much cheaper and not as many so it takes up less space and if I need more it is still cheaper than the store!

I would add food items. Sure, there’s plenty of junk food that’s not even a deal. But there’s also bread, frozen blueberries, rice and beans. Brown and white rice at 2 lbs/$1 is good. And then some things are hit or miss, like the 13 oz grinder of pink Himalayan salt I found recently.
I also like their oxyclean. Oh, and bandaids! Much better deal than elsewhere. And it’s the only bandaids I can find that have the tiny rectangle ones.
I did not have success with sandwich bags…they were so thin and the zippers wouldn’t shut.

I buy:
*Betty Crocker storage containers to use for left overs leaving the house.
*Big League chew for the ball team.
*Panti liners, cheapest place to buy name brand, and get to use coupon, too.
*Brillo pads
*the smallest container ever of Welchs grape jelly, perfect for one person or to take camping.
*the new cake in mug and the small portion cake mix brand name, forgot name now that I’m thinking about it
*bath soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss all name
brands
*hand towels — I go thru so many and they usually last about two years

I love Dollar Tree, but I have also had poor quality when it comes to plastic (Ziplock-Type) sandwich bags. The zipper parts tear through or don’t hold. Otherwise, lots of good ideas!!! I love the parchment paper, too.

Calendars, are great for organizational goals, we have found mats for your front door, decor for bedrooms and kitchens, and my newest find is the dish drying mats! These have eliminated the cluttery dish drainer on my counter, I love my kitchen so much more because of these! I think everyone should try them to see if they work for them.

I’ve also bought bacon splatter screens there, though I don’t see them there every time. I always think those things are so hard to clean. Granted, they’re not very high quality, and they won’t last long, but for only $1, you can almost throw them away after use.

I have found Magic (the gathering by Wizards of the Coast) cards at Dollar Tree. They are random, but perfect for stocking stuffers. They were near the register, and looked “knock off”, but once open were the real deal. Kids were very pleased.

I go though so many sunglasses that I only buy Dollar Tree ones now.
I love to buy summer toys there, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, etc.
I also love to get season/holiday decorations for my house there. I have bought cute signs to hang on the front door there.

I’ve found that the glow sticks at michaels are a better deal. 12-15 glow sticks in a package for $1 as compared with 5 for $1 at dollar tree, at least at my store. I’m sure it’s different throughout the country.

I’ve found that the ziploc bags and others like it aren’t a great deal at The Dollar Tree. Like you said – some things aren’t a great deal and when you break it down to cost per bag, it’s usually not a good buy at my local stores.

I agree with all of the comments and would add the clear whitening mouthwash. I keep it in a crystal decanter on the counter in my bathroom, so pretty. I also have bought pill minders and travel containers for my own products. They are much less expensive than buying at Target or the drugstore. Their shave gel works well in a travel size container for air travel. I have also bought pet toys which my dog can chew up just as well as a $6.00 dollar one from the pet store. Speaking of pets, food and water containers for travel are handy, too. I have also found the disposable 2 for $1.00 aluminum baking pans for casseroles and lasagna helpful when attending picnics and potlucks.

My kids love to get craft supplies – glitter glue is a favorite. Magic erasers for me. We just moved to Canada and I stopped in to get foil pans to bring a meal to someone…. I was feeling smug that I’d get things for 75c US…until I saw the sign…”Everything’s $1.25!” ??

I buy benadryl, generic zyrtec and anti itch cream, etc. It’s great for leaving in your purse or car when you need. I do also buy the tick/flea stuff for my dog just on a whim to try (you have to do once a month) but our dog who usually kept getting ticks, didn’t have any when we used this.

What a great list! We love the Dollar Store as well. I would add toothpaste, sometimes shampoo (depending on the brands), and our favorite bread is sold at our local Dollar Store as well! Whenever it is, I load up and freeze the extra loaves.

I have not had good luck with their aluminum foil; it was very thin and tore too easily. Also not impressed by their poster markers (run out very quickly) or tape (also tears where it’s not supposed to).

Earbuds/headphones. Great if you tend to lose them or kids pull them apart. Only a dollar, I can deal with that.

I’ve used their vinyl removable stickers for wedding decorations or party decorations, even putting them on some of those serving plates to make them more colorful or festive.

I second the frozen blueberries, reading glasses, triple antibiotic ointment, and the generic magic erasers that others mentioned. Mylar balloons for $1 filled and with strings attached is pretty great. Unless they’re used as punching bags, they can last a couple weeks.

Once I found Himalayan pink salt in tall grinders. So amazed. I got two and gave one away, and they don’t carry them at mine anymore.

When my kids get invited to a birthday party, I’ll give them $5 to buy 5 items for the friend. They usually buy a mix of candy, toys, and craft stuff. If the other mom is anything like me, she’ll be glad to get “consumable” gifts so they don’t add to the glut of toys already in the house!

I like foam hand soap and usually get it at dollar tree. Then when it is out I water down regular liquid hand soap or shower gel(usually bought at dollar tree) to refill it. Also…

Reading glasses (a pair for the car, one for the purse, another for home)
Sunglasses (lots since I lose them constantly)
Shaving cream
Coffee mugs
Cool glass vase (for a bamboo plant bought elsewhere)
Fishbowl type glass container for succulents
I bought an 8 pack of gel pens in different colors
Safety pins(usually found in checkout line)
Every once in a while they have diabetic socks I will pick up for some of my patients I see in home health.
Thanks for this. I got some ideas from the comments!

I like the packages with 8 packs of 10 tissues (less expensive than the name brand ones, and just as good!) at Dollar Tree. I also keep a stash of the kids’ tissue packets with cartoon characters on them; my grandkids love to get those in their Easter baskets, Christmas stockings, etc. I generally buy my boxed tissues there, too–decent-sized boxes of Scotties and Kleenex ( you can use coupons 🙂 ).

I also buy mesh shower scrubbies there (I can’t find those anywhere else for $1); sometimes I can get a package of 3 smaller ones, which I like to use for travel. At that price I don’t mind leaving them behind, rather than packing a damp one.

I recently bought a pool noodle to cut in half and use to keep my knee-high boots upright in the closet (they work well in the pool, too!).

Thanks- I have a person(adult child) moving out. I am definitely going to use Dollar Tree for the foil/plastic wrap, broom, organizing containers and a few other things. I already bought some of the Betty Crocker kitchen utensils.

I realize it is high summer but in winter- some of Dollar Tree’s hats (the ones lined with fleece ) are pretty good and warm. Not necessarily stylish but good to keep around for extras(or to put under more stylish hats!).

I have bought some of their Royal Norfolk dishes and bowls for holiday use at home. They looked nice and seemed sturdy. I never know about mugs. A friend gave me some expensive mugs for a gift from a high end company and while they said microwave usable- the handles got too hot.

The frozen food is the biggest thing for me. Frozen mixed berries, blueberries, mangos, and strawberries are the cheapest in town and work just fine for smoothies. Plus, the frozen fruits and veggies are from a Christian company. The veggies I get often, but their broccoli just has too many tough stem pieces for me. But their pepperoni is a decent price (unless I find a good coupon/sale deal elsewhere) and their 1lb packages of pork sausage (though high in fat) have topped many a pizza or biscuits and gravy.

Dollar Tree does accept coupons! Use coupons at Dollar Tree for either free or really cheap. I love Dollar Tree since it is a huge money saving move and nobody can tell it was from Dollar Tree when I’m throwing a party.

I agree with everything on your list. I would add the Science/History Fair display boards to the list. Our whole house is organized with Dollar Tree bins. We love the season department. Most of all my kids love when we go and I say you have $7 to spend go get what you want n

When purchasing supplies, you need to do maths to compare prices at varying stores as it’s all so annoyingly packaged. For instance flash cards were cheaper per card at Target than at Dollar tree! Meanwhile, per tissue, a box was cheaper at Dollar tree! Pencil leads were not cheaper as you get more leads in what seems the comparable container at Target… Buyers beware

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